UN holds forum to find ways to tackle problem of youth unemployment

24 February 2012  Dozens of representatives from governments, the business sector and civil society groups will gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday to discuss ways how they can better collaborate to tackle the problem of youth unemployment worldwide.

Monday's meeting is a key preparatory event for the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)'s annual ministerial review in July, which is set to focus this year on the issues of employment and decent work to eradicate poverty.

Youth unemployment has soared in both affluent and poor countries since the global financial crisis began in 2008, with the largest annual increase on record reported in 2009. At one point nearly 76 million people aged between 15 and 24 years of age were unemployed worldwide.

Many young people with jobs are also suffering, ECOSOC noted in a press release. The Council said it now estimates that about 152 million young workers live in households that are below the poverty line, and they comprise almost a quarter of the total numbers of working poor.

The meeting on Monday is expected to feature presentations or remarks from, among others, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, ECOSOC President Miloš Koterec, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Sha Zukang and representatives of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO).